Battle at Northwatch
by RougeLioness
Summary: Story of a battle.. i suck at summaries but it has some Kel/Dom though not completly


Swords were to be raised that day. Many men had said their goodbyes to their loved ones. They all knew it may be their last. That last goodbye kiss and lingering look. Knights and warriors were called from everywhere I the realm. Knights and a squad of randomly placed Kings Own and Queens Riders at each fort. Every fort besides Northwatch that was. No a bloody battle would take place there. A bloody battle that would decide who would win the Scancran and Tortallan War. Every fighter had received their duties and they were all remembering the good times right now. None of them had slept though the night. Jonathan of Conte was to lead the army. Behind him would be the four best knights of the realm. Lady Alanna, The Lioness and Kings Champion, would ride flanking his right. Sir Raoul, The Giantkiller, who was a giant of a man himself would be flanking Jon's left. To Alanna's right would be Sir Wyldon of Cavall, and to Raoul's left would be Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan, Protector of the Small and his ex-squire. Behind them would be a mixture of Knights, the Kings Own, and the Queens Riders. All lined up in formation and shared secret scared looks or encouraging smiles. Keladry looked back remembering the face of every one of her friends. She loved some of them like brothers others as no more the friends and one as a lover. Other warriors she didn't know and some she couldn't stand. Yet all of them would be fighting together, side by side. They had their heads up and in ready stance at the sound of horse hoofs. When King Maggur came over the hill with an army of almost twice the size of Tortall's every hoof beat stopped. All horses stood still not a sound could be heard.

It was almost peaceful. That was in till two swords being unsheathed could be heard. As the kings raised the swords, Tortall's swords could soon be heard being unsheathed as one. With a battle cry they were racing towards the sancrans. Not one solder was out of formation and the horses seemed to move as one. The Scancrans unsheathed their swords and they tow rushed towards the Tortallan army. Some of them however were already off or falling off their saddles. As one King Jon, Alanna, Wyldon, Raoul, and Kel each brought down a Scancran. And so the fight began.

Within five minutes everybody was covered in blood, and everybody who was still alive had killed at least two people. Kel quickly sheathed her sword, and unhooked her glaive from her saddle. Starting a pattern dance from atop her horse she spun the weapon. Swinging so fast the weapon was but a blur. The Tortallans all stayed their distance. The Scancrans didn't seem the get the picture however and any who came to close fell. She was beautiful but deadly. Ending that pattern dance she kept swinging before bringing her glaive in a upwards arc. Peach blossom reared while Alanna's horse reared from next to them. Both lady knights raised their weapons and let out a fierce battle cry. Kel saw both her friends and enemies fall but she didn't contemplate this while she fought, she just kept fighting. She soon found herself by Raoul's side once again. Raoul's wife Buri commander of the Queens Riders was fighting on his other side. They fought this way only breaking up when separated then always joining their safer little group. Dom (or Domitian) of Masabolle, a sergeant of The Kings Own came to Kels side. Once again she was calmed by his presence and she fought again but her spirits were slightly higher now, knowing he was safe. He flashed her an award winning smile. And her stomach did butterflies, even in the middle of a battlefield. He fell back protecting their backs. He suddenly jumped forward taking an arrow to the shoulder. The arrow should of hit Kel and thats why he took it. He kept fighting watching the trees and tightening his hold with his knee while switching his shoulder to his uninjured arm. He knew he could get an infection but he wouldn't have anyone shoot his Kel. Thats why he stayed and watched the trees for any sight of another archer ready to shoot Kel. Kel however noticed him fighting with his weaker arm and put him in between her and Raoul. She signaled a treatable injury before looking towards Raoul. He nodded showing he would cover her and he knew Dom was hurt. He didn't know how much Dom was hurt just by the pain in Kel's eyes. Kel grabbed Dom's reigns just as he blacked out from blood loss. His last thought before subcuming to the darkness was wow she looks like a goddess. The truth of that statement was she was a goddess in his eyes. He had been thinking of her as a goddess since the day he met her. He just wasn't sure what kind of goddess she was; a goddess of beauty or a warrior goddess. She rivaled not only the queen but the great mother goddess herself in his eyes. But sitting upon a rearing horse, weapon in hand, and a face blank she was the most fierce knight not only had Tortall seen but probably any other realm to. She was calm and coolheaded yet was the best commander there was and had a temper to rival the lioness. She was nice to commoners and nobles alike. And he loved every part of her. Even the mask she put up. The same mask that she had up for the rest of the battle and well after. Kel had to let Dom's men take him back knowing they wouldn't let him get hurt anymore. Kel fought her way to Maggur, where he was hiding in the back, hiding behind his men. Every Tortallan moved out of her way. She destroyed over a hundred lives just in her rage. She went though every and any Scancran in her way till she got to Maggur.

"Sir Maggot" She greeted before she was upon him yelling a battle cry. He blocked every blow aimed at him. Kel just forced him back farther and farther wearing him out. She soon got that upper hand by delivering a high down striking motion forcing them to use pure muscle against muscle. She hadn't taken a day off since she was 10 and started training. He however had been a lazy king to stubborn to think he could be overthrown. With one more lasting battle cry she pushed his sword down hitting his head with her sword. This knocked him out and he was bleeding to death from his head. Deciding upon a mercy strike she cut hos throat. When she had ushered that battle cry every warrior nearby had looked at her. When she had killed the King she evidently won the war because at that moment all Scancrans that were nearby retreated. Seeing their comrades retreated so did the other Scancrans. Any remaining enemy's were killed upon the spot. And so surviving knights and warriors were left standing on a field of the dead.

Kel scanned the crowd before taking her weapons off Peach blossom and telling him to get someone o clean him up and telling him to be nice. She then searched through the men on the ground looking for any warriors that were not dead. When she would come across a enemy survivor she would quickly end his life knowing that was better then the torture and sentence they would endure. Every Tortallan she found was dead already however. When she came upon a familiar face she bent down and knelled next to Merric. She sat and lifted his head to her lap taking off his helmet hoping he would be alive and not wanting to hurt him to much if he was. Finding him pale and seemingly not breathing she allowed a tear to flow down her cheek before putting back up her mask. She cried our happily when she felt his breath along her hand. Though shallow and unsteady he was still breathing. If he was still breathing then he was still alive. Some soldiers came over all looking pale with no showing injuries. When they heard her happy cry they quickly rushed over and loaded Merric onto a stretcher. Continuing her search she found no other Tortallan warrior alive. She then began to help sort through all the bodies. Any Scancrrans went to the burning and warriors went to be identified before burial. For the nobles some would be kept in safe keeping till a real funeral could take place or till they could be buried in their own fief.

Looking upon the battlefield Kel couldn't help but wounder why she chose this. She knew it wasn't for glory because this was probably the most inglorious job available.. No she had wanted to help people. Protect people who couldn't protect themselves. Yet after every battle she still wandered what for. This was one of the bloodies battles Tortall had ever seen. And many lives were ruined and many loved ones were lost. Tortall would be in morning and Scancra would be in rumbles. Kel had stopped a war and saved many lives but she still felt guilty looking out upon the battlefield. She wondered how many of these deaths had been brought by her sword or glaive. She didn't look at the faces, everything moved to fast and when she did she couldn't remember it. She was just happy it was over for now. She could go back to her Children (the refugees) and not feel guilty because she wasnt out there fighting. She would probably get restless once she got once she got over the guilt. She had to put her mind to work so she helped them gather the dead.

This was how Dom, just woken up from healing found her. He was being supported on one side by Raoul and on the other by Wolset. It had been almost 6 hours from the end of the battle which had lasted almost a day and a half. No she hadn't realized this. She had blocked everything out everything but the battle and her weapon. Only once had her concentration been broken, only when Dom had taken the arrow for her. They both knew that he had taken it for her. It was aimed for her and would of hit her if he didn't block her. He knew she would do it for him. He also knew even if he could never move his arm again or fight again he wouldn't regret it. She may not have realized all this but when she saw him leaning on the two men she knew he was probably to tired from the healing to be walking on his own which meant he should be in bed. But no he had wanted to see his lady knight. He knew she would overwork herself in less there was nothing left to do or she killed herself or if someone stopped her. So thats what he came to do. Clearing his thought getting her attention he couldn't help but smile at that disappointing mother like look she was giving him. Clearly not approving of him being up and about.

"I just wanted to make sure our dear Protector wasn't out here overworking herself." She just ran up to him and hugged him tightly obviously not mad at him for being out of bed.

"I'm fine Dom." But as she pulled away he could feel her swaying slightly and her pale skin to match her unconcentrated eyes.

"Will you grace me with your presence dearest protector?"

"Sure Dom, you need a nickname Dommy"

He began walking away only to realize she had gone back to working. He turned around enough to see her collapse. He leaned more heavily on Wolset as Raoul rushed to her side and picked her up cradling her like a baby.

"Wolset get Dom to his rooms, I need to get Kel to Nealen."

"Sir! I can get myself to my own rooms and I'm staying with Kel."

With that the four rushed to the infirmary were Neal healed Kel best he could, knowing he would have to keep her away from her weapons for a while. When leaving the infirmity he couldn't help but notice his cousins head leaning on Kel's cot with their hands intertwined.

Slowly everybody got better, though Kel wasn't allowed to leave. She never had a lack of company seeing as Dom wouldn't leave her side if there wasn't someone else there. Even for the first 8 days when she was still fast asleep he had barely left her side. By the second week he had pushed a cot next to hers and never spent more then a hour away from her. No he wasn't in love with her. He was just being a friend. At least thats what he tried convincing himself. It never worked however. So every night and morning he would kiss her forehead while she was asleep. Eventually she began to walk for short periods of time, Dom by her side catching her when she even leaned to one side. Soon she moved back to her rooms. Within two months all the bodies were taken care of, everybody informed. And though things began to look livelier everybody still had a part of them missing. Kel had lost many friends from the Kings Own. She had almost lost Dom. They had almost lost her, luckily it wasn't the almost that counted. So Tortall mourned and older knights not on border patrol and other non-stationed nights began to travel back to Corus. Exactly 2 and a half months after the battle Kel, Neal, and what was left of 3rd Company traveled back to New Hope. Riding out with Kel in front, Dom to her right and back a little which he was happy about and Neal to the left and back, already pining for Yuki his lady love. Kel raised her hand in the signal to move out. The end of a battle that ended a war. The end of a chapter but another chapter would always follow. And with another chapter came another adventure. Riding out not once did Kel look back. Knights don't look back. They never forget and always remember, but they never ever looked back.


End file.
